Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3

Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3

Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Luxury Remember when German automakers line-ups were fairly straightforward? Take Audi, for example. There was the A4, the A6, and the A8. And that was pretty much it. But now theres an A1, A3, A5, A7, TT, R8, Q5, Q7...the list keeps growing. And it looks ready to keep on growing, too, as reports come in of Ingolstadts plans to bring back the A2. The original A2, as you may recall, was a lightweight premium hatchback that was built from 1999 through 2005. A little too pricey and a little too ahead of its time, the A2 never gained the traction in the worlds marketplaces (it was never offered in North America). But now that nearly every automaker is exploring smaller vehicles and customers are detaching themselves from the notion that luxury equates with a certain size, the time could be right for the A2s return. Of course it would have to slot in between the new A1 and the existing A3, and differentiate itself from both. Sources suggest that the new A2s curb weight could actually undercut its predecessor, which tipped the scales at under 2,000 pounds thanks to its lightweight aluminum spaceframe construction. To get there, the A2 could be the first to use Audis new MLB-Evo multi-material platform, made out of steel, aluminum and composites bonded, screwed and riveted together for optimal weight, rigidity and cost. [Source: Autocar]Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments